20 years before the death of Ronald at the Hare's Retreat.

The Cloven

Elderwood was home to the greatest of forests, and the vastest of plains. The Cloven had wandered them for as long as any remembered, even the spirits in the Twilight realms, whose guidance they first received when they learned to eat not just the grasses, the leaves and the flowers, but the mushrooms as well.

It opened a new world, and the tribes that rose from that shared experience were the start of the Cloven. They became caretakers of the land, [Druids] and eventually [Shamans] who guided the spirit-trips of whole tribes taking part in collective rituals. The spirits gave knowledge of not only the lands but the heavens and the undergrounds as well, the mountaintops and the oceans. They shared all they knew and the Cloven were grateful and grew in the sharing.

Conflicts arose, but the Cloven were always defensive and fought in a way that minimised destruction, often successfully. To take them on was to often accept the highest of costs since that is what it would take to even penetrate their woodland realms. Sometimes resources grew that attracted enough attention that no deterrent remained effective, this was when the Cloven were pressed the hardest, but some natural treasures could not be abandoned.

When Humanity first arrived the Cloven were conflicted, but the [Quests] were enough to get them started on the march, albeit reluctantly. All that reluctance was removed when the toxic weaponry that mankind wielded came to light, the Cloven fought as fiercely and even greedily as any other race.

When the remaining shard of mankind was found the Cloven were once more split and conflicted. Great debates took place and even the lowliest of [Shamans] demanded that their opinion be heard. The majority argued for disregarding their needs completely, providing no aid and continuing to send hordes of predators that needed removal their way as needed. But what the [Druids] eventually learned changed everything for the plant-loving race. With news of a great benefit to be had, if dealing with the humans fairly, this strange race on the brink had their first allies. And it was all thanks to the Norwegian seed vault.

The following era was quickly overtaken by the Cloven who used their devastating primordial [Druids] to dominate not just their opponents but the very land they defended as well, despite the high levels and rewards that had been doled out at the defeat of Humanity. It all proved insufficient in the face of the sheer variety and innovation displayed by these casters with an affinity for nature and overcoming every odds, it was a golden era for plant-life and Cloven alike, all over the Elderwood continent.

Nalai'Dormata grew up in a far less golden era for the heartlands of Clovenhood. She was from an old family and lucky enough to be named a caster at the [System] ritual introduction. But the influence [Druids] wielded compared to [Shamans] was at an all time low. It seemed many Cloven preferred the rosy pictures painted by the far-fetched possibilities that the [Shamans] loved harping on. How the Cloven would solve every problem on their own, no matter the lowered chance of success, and never needed to consider the ramifications of their dealings with other races overly much, as long as they stuck to a few rules. Don't antagonize the Hivelands, don't mess with the wrong Ogre Clan and whatever you do, do not ever trust a Foxkin cultivator.

Nalai was far from ignorant when it came to all the reasons for this attitude, but she was still at a loss as to how the Cloven could so easily blame Humankind for having short memories, when they were equally quick to forget how much of their recent successes stemmed from some plant or idea that Humans had first introduced. Even if they were indeed crap at developing the plant's full potential here on planet Ross.

Most Cloven simply considered Humans a tapped resource, but Nalai was far from convinced of the fact. She still remembered the overwhelmingly sweet and balanced Apple-Drink she had once been treated to, from the Human lands, in her early teens. It had led to an intoxication that was just unadulterated natural cheer. At least for a Cloven, who was naturally immune to hangovers. No Cloven alcohol could compete.

Today was the start of another year of schooling in the druidic arts, and Nalai was at the head of not just her class but her Class, she was set to compete at the interstate growing competitions that drew eyeballs from every corner of Elderwood. Not strictly due to the youth branch, it was true. But the real connoisseurs kept an eye to the future, which meant even prodigies could get a minute in the spotlight provided their results merited the attention.

Nalai was finally the official choice and was set to let everybody know how she grew her fruit tree to give twice the yield of her competitors, from the same seeds.

She'd taken the help of a Human.